When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, its a good core workout. If youre sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More

Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More

We were breakfasting with friends in Potrero Hill when our hostess pronounced The Problem with this fourth installment of the Treasure Island Music Festival: "The trouble with it is they divide it into electronica day and annoying indie rock day." Admittedly, fighting in the streets has yet to break out among the two cultural enclaves, with dance-dance freakazoids and indie poseurs mixing with perfect amity at places like Coachella. But TI is much cozier than some polo field down in Indio half the size of Liechtenstein.

This was our first time at the festival and, once through the long fuckaround at the gate, the rumpus being stomped up on the Bridge stage by this year's internet meme Die Antwoord was a strong audience magnet. Sounding from that distance like an amplified domestic dispute between a chipmunk and a Rottweiler, this impression was sustained up close by rappers Ninja and Yo-Landi jabbering threats of shitrain malediction like they'd just invented anger.

Die Antwoord fired up the crowd with machine-gun rhymes and swinging genitalia.

Fading back toward the Ferris wheel, the giant pink flamingo, and the Silent Disco (where scores of head-phoned freaks were shuffling in muffled rhythm) to the Tunnel stage, the transition from South African hype-hop to the cooing drone-trip of Phantogram was as smooth as any handoff on The Ed Sullivan Show, only involving far more physical stamina than the TV party of yesteryear.

Joseph Schell

Crowdsurfing was prevalent -- and mostly successful.

Even so, the festival space was too cramped for more than one act to play at once, so, by the time !!!'s soulful thump began to kill it from Bridge Stage, attendees were showing the bison-like social and migratory habits typical of festivalgoers everywhere, moving in giant giddy herds from one attraction to another. Under frontman Nic Offer's antic prodding, the crowd finally settled in for some serious dancing, with this oft-mispronounced act hammering through an assortment of James Brown vs. Technogodzilla grooves as the sun set rhapsodically over the city and one determined guy by the fence used the fast-decaying daylight to squint into a Stephen King paperback. The band's long swatch of "Me & Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard" was Saturday's high point -- a welcome blast of pure tribal adrenalin in the gathering night.

Joseph Schell

Four Tet's Kieran Hebden tried to warm up the crowd with shifting, organic beats

Four Tet failed to warm things up for the underdressed throng, already rubbing against each other in sociable warmth in the shivering wind. The stone sonic lunacy of Kruder & Dorfmeister went over better -- the veteran Austrian duo rousing the mob with a ballyhoo cry of "Cokers and jokers, lend me your ears!"

Joseph Schell

Deadmau5' black cube turned into a trippy LCD screen

The audience heated slowly to Little Dragon's downtempo smoulder but more quickly to Deadmau5, as Joel Zimmerman presided over the set with a giant electric grin lighting his zombie mouse costume head. LCD Soundsystem cranked the mayhem even higher as they closed out the night, a long sample of the 10cc sobber "I'm Not in Love" preceding the frantic release of "Drunk Girls." We must've kicked past a dozen empty whisky flasks on the way out.

Joseph Schell

LCD Soundsystem blasted out jabbering art-dance tunes tight and hard

Personal bias: A five-time Burning Man attendee, I know all about dancing to keep warm.

Random notebook dump: "What is up with the little yellow 'Thank You' stickers on every fourteenth person?"

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Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"